Last minute rides

This^

So glad to have FINALLY got a Last Minute Ride together!

Anyone up for a ride tomorrow? Not doing marathon ride tonight, so will be going to bed at a sensible time and weather looks good so thinking of rolling down the coast. Maybe Brighton, maybe not. Pretty flexible really, but want to leave London in a southerly direction and head to the seaside.

^Might be. How far's brighton?

Why don't you find a seriously rural route, one of the ones with no main roads? I only say this because we took a quite direct route on main roads during the week. Then maybe I can upload it to tom's 'spare' garmin and we can use that. I guess these are the tentative signs of commitment...

I might bail out though.

Is B Right On the best place to catch up with the coast?

I would be keen for a ride to somewhere with sea and few people, preferably very bleak but with a small cosy pub.

54 miles upwards depending on route cupcakes.

That's what I'm planning, do not want too many main roads. I'm thinking quiet lanes wherever possible. Other Oliver's route down for the triple crown was excellent from that point of view, but don't think I will be up for Devil's Dyke, Ditchling and that other bugger of a hill.

It would be good to have navigation, to save me doing it, although I'd probably do some route cards anyway.

Not necessarily, I was thinking about Seaford but might be a little far for tomorrow.

As something of an aside, Brighton's a bit overrated really. I know people who fell in love with it, moved there, found living the dream wasn't all it was cracked up to be and moved back to London.

It hasn't really changed since Greene's day, when you scratch the surface there's still a pretty seedy underbelly.

This^

So glad to have FINALLY got a Last Minute Ride together!

Yes, it was a long time coming, wasn't it?

Come on Fox, choose a destination...I would be mindful of Seaford though, especially if you take a direct route as it will take you over the south downs, which are a bit bumpy - more so than the route to Brighton which is relatively flat. It would be a 'challenging' route.

I'd be up for either, but may have to bail last-minute if I need to be home for a flat viewing.

Right, this is the Shickster's route down, which is great, highly recommended:
Triple Crown

What I'm thinking at the moment is do this down to just before Henfield then cut across on the quietest route possible to Seaford, via the vicinity of Hassocks, Ditchling and Lewes.

Seaford is great. It's quiet and full of old people. Here is a picture I took of some old people in Seaford:

The beach would be a good place for tramp beers and you can have a quick walk up the coast path to be rewarded with this view:

Here's another - http://www.freewebs.com/cycleroutes/, once out of London there's hardly any traffic

Really want to do this!

What time would you want to leave? I am supposed to be catching up with a friend on Skype at 10 tomorrow morning... thinking about trying to reschedule to this evening.

Flexible, but I would reschedule that if you can. I've been streetviewing Hassocks - Seaford and those roads seem pretty busy with no nice quieter ways round. That seems more a problem than the hills.

Maybe we could just ride to Brighton then along the coast?

I'm trying to reshedule; hope he gets my message.

Hmm, coast road to Seaford looks manky too, busy A road. Think it might have to be Brighton. Could you live with that Rich?

Yeah, sure.

The destination is not as important as the route to get there...I reckon. If we take a lovely quiet route it won't matter where we end up. If I join you, that is.

Then I am thinking Oliver's route but cutting across to go up Devil's Dyke the 'normal' way, possibly Ditchling after that, possibly not, down into Brighton.

We could then catch a train to Seaford, bum on beach, get train back. Would that be cheating? It's full of shops for old people like chairlift showrooms...

You can do it Oli, you have proven over the last week you are a machine! Rest on Monday.

It's also going to be absolutely freezing tomorrow. None of today's balmy t-shirt weather.

Then I am thinking Oliver's route but cutting across to go up Devil's Dyke the 'normal' way, possibly Ditchling after that, possibly not, down into Brighton.

We could then catch a train to Seaford, bum on beach, get train back. Would that be cheating? It's full of shops for old people like chairlift showrooms...

You can do it Oli, you have proven over the last week you are a machine! Rest on Monday.

The way I'll do this next time will be to go up Ditchling Beacon first, then down again on the landward side, then up Clayton Hill and Devil's Dyke from the landward sides, too.

It's also going to be absolutely freezing tomorrow. None of today's balmy t-shirt weather.

BBC says max 19, my phone says high of 16, Metcheck says "Temperatures will rise quickly with a rather warm day developing as highs reach the high teens, and perhaps 20C in the odd spot." although Metcheck's actual forecast says it will be 7 but feel like -2. I am suspicious of this last bit. Whatchu lookin' at?

Either way stop for pub lunch to warm up/cool down - there's a good pub we stopped at on the three crowns recce last summer - then beach or warm up in pub in Brighton.

Metcheck's actual forecast says it will be 7 but feel like -2

That's what I was looking at, maybe it is wrong, I left you to do the real checking. So is this on or what? I'm about to pop out but if you make a gps route I can get tom to garminate it later. You will have to use the gps as I refuse :)

I'm not sure I can fit a GPS to my Orrell.. Seriously, no space! I'll do a route though. I'll go through the route tonight and make manual directions.

Well I'm doing it. I've washed my bike and cleaned the chain now. American baked snacks TBC.

The way I'll do this next time will be to go up Ditchling Beacon first, then down again on the landward side, then up Clayton Hill and Devil's Dyke from the landward sides, too.

That sounds good. I'll have a look, need to sort out exact route we will take once we diverge from yours.